


Forgotten Memories

by tomowrites



Category: Gintama
Genre: Gen, but it's not gonna stay that way i s2g, i can't deal with angst i die, sorta angsty at first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 13:03:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9550340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomowrites/pseuds/tomowrites
Summary: AU - Set during the second movie; Gintoki succeeds in going back in time and erasing himself but Tama is unable to get his final message to Kagura and Shinpachi in the future. This is not going to have a sad ending. I actually am not capable of handling that. First of a two-part series.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea while re-watching the second movie; what if Tama hadn't been able to get to Shinpachi and Kagura for whatever reason after Gintoki went back in time and killed himself? I also might change the title part-way through this story; I'm not super attached to it at this point but who knows.

He was crying. 

Or he had been crying. His face was wet, but he didn’t know why. Looking up, he realized he was in public, in front of some old run-down bar. People were staring. Embarrassed, he quickly wiped his face on his sleeve but the tears would not stop coming. 

His chest hurt. There was a deep ache in it, a feeling of loss. Something important had disappeared, something valuable had been lost but he had no idea what. 

_“I hope at least you will remember me.”_

A man’s voice, a flash of light – had that happened? The memory felt fuzzy around the edges, like the remnants of an old dream. Shinpachi had no idea what it meant or who that man’s voice was, he just _knew_ it was important. _“I hope you will remember me.”_ Was there someone he was supposed to remember? 

There was a hiccup to his left and Shinpachi looked over. A young woman was sitting there. She looked to be in her late teens, maybe early twenties with pinkish hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a red Chinese-style dress and her hair was tied up into two ornaments. Shinpachi noticed she had also been crying, trying desperately to wipe away the ugly tears rolling down her cheeks. 

The ache in his chest intensified. Shinpachi looked away quickly, sour emotions blooming in his gut. He was upset. _Why did he leave us behind? Why didn’t he tell us anything?_ He was ashamed. _He left because you’re not strong enough. He couldn’t trust you with his last job._ Most of all though, there was a sadness, so deep and vast Shinpachi almost felt like he was drowning in it. He felt nauseous, a pit of snakes wriggling in his belly, but knew throwing up would not help him feel any better.

“Who are you?”

The woman spoke first, her voice soft and shaky. Shinpachi looked back over at her, trying to regain his composure. Her face was ugly and swollen, eyes red and puffy from crying and snot coming out of her right nostril. She looked so vulnerable –

_But she could kill you without trying._

She was strong. Shinpachi realized, taken aback for a second. She was _very_ strong. How had he known that? She did not look strong – she looked like she could break apart at any second, barely held together by the thinnest of threads, her voice weak and so, so frightened.

“I-I’m Shimura. Shimura Shinpachi...I’m sorry, I don’t know how I got here – I must be sick, something’s wrong, I-”

“You’ve lost something…no, someone.” she cut him off, her eyes wide and desperate. She had a slight accent, he noticed. Chinese? Was she Chinese? The accent and dress certainly looked Chinese to him.

“…yes.” Shinpachi tried to force a smile, “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I know you, I don’t even really know what’s happening. I don’t know how I got here or why I’m even here, honestly. I – I really should get going, get home”

“No, no, we’ve never met.” She leaned closer. Shinpachi pulled back. “Or have we? I don’t know. I don’t know you. I’m not from here. I’m not sure how I got here either – I – there was something here. Something important, something I can’t lose…” She trailed off, looking away at the old run-down bar. Her eyes slowly looked up to the store above the bar, some skeezy-looking adult video shop, “That’s not right” she whispered, “That’s not supposed to be there.”

_She was right_ , Shinpachi realized, also staring up at the video shop. The shop’s existence felt inherently wrong. Something else was supposed to be there.

Something important.

Shinpachi quickly shook his head. He really was going crazy. Looking around at his surroundings, he vaguely recognized the street he was sitting in. A sign at the end of the road read “Kabuki District”. He had probably passed through here when walking to his sister’s work, but that still didn’t explain why this whole thing felt so wrong. It was as if someone had altered reality slightly, maybe shifting everything a little off center, but the change was so subtle Shinpachi could not clearly see it.

“I- I should get going” Shinpachi stood up, staggering back “Get home. I’m sorry.”

_Get away from here. Get away from you. I can’t stand seeing your face like that. I can’t stand seeing that shop like that._

The woman did not respond, still staring at the store.

Shinpachi took one last look at her tear-stained face, a wave of nausea hitting him hard, before turning around and fleeing. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Kagura heard the man get up, heard him say something, heard him run off, but she didn’t move from where she sat. She didn’t want to stop him. She didn’t want to follow him. She didn’t want to see his face like that, red, swollen, crying, his stupid glasses smudged with tears and completely fogged up.

More importantly though, she couldn’t stop him. She knew that. So she didn’t try, just sitting there, staring at the adult video shop, her brain muddled and confused. Why was she here? What was going on? How did she get here? Why did she feel such a sense of sadness?

_The last time I felt like this was when Mami died._

She shook her head. That was impossible. She hadn’t lost anyone since Mami died – she had been sure of that. She had – What had she done?

She had left her home, that cold dark gray planet and come to Earth. A planet, which Mami had always talked about, a planet where she could re-invent herself and start anew. A planet where Kagura could finally become strong; strong enough to drag her idiot brother and father kicking and screaming home. A planet here Kagura could find herself and learn to control her damnable Yato blood.

_But you didn’t find yourself. You didn’t become stronger. You’ve just been getting by._

Kagura felt bile in the back of her throat. She had come here, a child, so stupid, so naïve. Earth, she had discovered was no different that her home. She had started with that stupid afro gang and when she left them –

_What happened after that?_

Kagura frowned. What had happened after she left the afro gang? It was years ago, at least half a decade since she had left them, what had she been doing that whole time?

_There was a man – a man with silver hair and a boy with glasses and a dog, large and whi-_

“Kagura!!!!”

Kagura jolted up, looking at the older woman running towards her. She looked relatively unremarkable, middle-aged with her brown hair cropped short and kimono a pale teal color.

“Kagura, where were you!” the woman scolded, “Sis has been looking everywhere for you!”

“Sis?”

“Are you okay?” the woman’s face softened, “Oh no, Kagura, were you crying? What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“I’m – yea.” Kagura forced a smile, “I’m okay, just a bit disoriented. I think I might be sick.”

“Oh crap” the woman frowned, “Should I tell sis you need the day off? I mean we sorta had a job today but you know, if you’re sick…”

“No, no I’m fine.” Kagura stood, dusting herself off and wiping the last of the tears off her face, “I’ll be able to work just…I’m fine. What’s the job today?”

The woman made a face, “What are you talking about? It’s deliveries, it’s always deliveries!” she threw her hands in the air, “We gotta drop off a fridge though and that’s where you come in. You know what the boss always says – who needs strong men when we have you!”

_I do deliveries?_ Kagura smiled woodenly and nodded at the woman, who was animatedly chatting away. _Was that right?_

It was right. Kagura realized with a jolt. That’s what had happened. She had left that ridiculous afro gang but struggled to find honest work after that. All the gangs in Edo seemed to really want a Yato to fight for them but nobody seemed interested in hiring an Amanto, especially one as young and inexperienced as Kagura. So she had gone from gang to gang, doing petty crimes and staying until they pushed her too far.

_One day, while contemplating how to leave the latest gang she had joined with minimal bloodshed, Kagura noticed a woman struggling with a large package. She had gone over to help, easily carrying the package to its destination._

_“That was AMAZING!” the woman had gushed, “How are you so strong?? Oh my god is it the calcium? Did you drink a lot of milk as a kid?”_

_“No, I’m just that amazing” Kagura had smirked, pleased with the praise. It was nice not to have to punch someone to get a compliment._

_“I’m so jealous!” the woman had taken Kagura’s hand, “You’d be so useful at our place – hey, actually are you looking for work?”_

_“What kind of work?”_

_“We run a delivery company here in Edo” the woman had explained, smiling broadly, “I’m Yuko, by the way. I run it with my sister, Yumi. She’s technically the boss but you know I’m sure she’d be thrilled to have someone as strong as you on the team!”_

“Kagura!”

Kagura snapped back to the present. The woman – Yuko, Kagura remembered now – had stopped talking and was staring at Kagura, a concerned expression on her face, “Are you sure you’re okay? Really, if you’re sick you should be resting, not working, you know. Sis would kill me if I forced employees to work while sick!”

“No, no, I really am fine” Kagura insisted, smiling weakly, “Today’s just been so weird?”

“I figured as much” Yuko responded, nodding, “What were you doing in Kabuki anyways? You get into gambling recently?”

“I was – I must have gotten lost” Kagura frowned, her gaze drawn back to the adult video shop above the bar, “There was something there…” she muttered, “Something I wasn’t supposed to forget.”

_A man with silver hair and a boy with glasses and a dog, large and white. A flash of light – a voice, “I hope at least you will remember me.”_

Kagura smacked her head. What was wrong with her? She didn’t know anyone like that and certainly didn’t know any massive white dogs, “Let’s go” she said, walking quickly away from the storefront before Yuko could say anything. She had to get away. This street, that shop, the more she looked at it, the worse she felt. “I’m fine, really, and that fridge isn’t gonna deliver itself!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Shinpachi ran. He needed to get away from that store, get away from Kabuki, get home. Maybe a nap would help him feel better. Maybe practicing in the dojo.

_I never wanted to see her like that._

Shinpachi shook his head, trying to clear it. Why did that woman bother him so much? He had certainly never met her before, it made no sense, no sense that she would have such a hold over him, no sense that she would bother him so much, no sense that seeing her cry made his nausea so, so much worse.

As he rounded a corner, Shinpachi heard a loud commotion and slowed. There was a group of officers on the street, struggling with what looked to be a young woman in a suit. She had brown eyes and green hair, long and braided down her back. Her face was scratched and clothes were torn and worn, as if she had recently been in a fight. The officers were attempting to push her into the back of a large police van, but seemed to be struggling with the task despite the handcuffs attached securely around the woman’s wrists.

“-ma’am, we need to get you to care, you can’t be wandering the streets in this condition.”

“No, no, no – I need to get his last message to them, let me go this is important-I waited so long, 15 years, they should be at the shop now, I have to go to them, I have to give them Gintoki’s message-” she was struggling desperately but her tone monotonous and face expressionless.

“I understand, ma’am” one of the officers said, grunting slightly as he finally shoved her into the back of the police van and slammed the door behind her, “Jesus Christ.” He shook his head, “How much did that girl weigh?!”

“You’re just getting weak, boss” another officer, also sweating heavily laughed.

“Cheeky” the officer shot back, “Alright, let’s get this one back to the station. Probably charge her for loitering and get her to a hospital – she can’t be wandering the streets looking like that. Looks like she got attacked too; seems like she needs the help.”

The officers completely ignored Shinpachi, piling into the front of the van. Shinpachi stood, rooted to the spot, as the van started up. _I shouldn’t get involved._ Shinpachi thought, _I should leave. I should get home._

The young woman’s face suddenly appeared in the back window of the van as the vehicle started moving. Her eyes locked with Shinpachi's. If she were surprised, she did not show it, her expression never changing. However, she did start to yell, her mouth moving rapidly, forming words Shinpachi could not hear nor understand. Her struggling seemed to intensify too; hands, probably the officers’, suddenly appeared on her shoulders, holding her down.

The van pulled away quickly, leaving Shinpachi on the side of the road. What had the woman been yelling? It was as if she were trying to tell Shinpachi something, but Shinpachi had not recognized the woman at all. What could a stranger have wanted with him?

Shaking his head, Shinpachi slowly turned away. It was probably nothing. She had probably mistaken him for someone else. Or maybe she had just been insane – she had looked to be in pretty bad shape.

_It was nothing._ Shinpachi told himself, ignoring the nagging sensation in the back of his head, _You need to get home. You’re going crazy; you didn’t forget anything. You just need rest. Or exercise. Or both. Or maybe just a bath._

Head bowed and shoulders hunched, Shinpachi hurried back to his house.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed <3 Honestly I've no idea how long this is gonna be.


End file.
